Posture can be succinctly defined as being the position or carriage of the human body. More particularly, posture refers to the habitual or assumed disposition of the parts of the body when standing, sitting, etc. Anatomically, good posture is exhibited whenever the component parts of the body's musculoskeletal structure are in proper alignment with each other. It happens, however, not all persons have good posture.
The mal-alignments of body parts that manifest themselves as poor posture have long been considered to be a predisposing factor in causing injuries. Specifically, these injuries can cause acute and chronic pains that result from increased joint wear and tear, decreased efficiency, disuse atrophy of muscles, and abnormal muscle patterns caused by substitution. Suffice it to say that maintaining good posture is essential for good health.
Through the years, the mal-alignments (postural deviations) that contribute to poor posture have been generally defined with reference to particular view planes. Specifically, these view plans are: 1) the frontal plane, 2) the sagittal plane, and 3) the transverse plane. The frontal or coronal plane derives its name from the direction or the coronal suture of the skull. It is a vertical plane that extends through the body from side to side, and divides the body into front and back sections of equal weight. On the other hand, the sagittal plane derives its name from the sagittal suture of the skull. It is also a vertical plane and divides the body into right and left halves. Unlike the frontal and sagittal planes, the transverse plane is horizontal and divides the body into upper (cranial) and lower (caudal) halves. With reference to these respective planes, observable skeletal mal-alignments (postural deviations) can be measured and evaluated. As indicated above, however, observable skeletal mal-alignments will also indicate muscular dysfunctions. More specifically, as implied above, posture is a consequence of the musculoskeletal structure of the human body. Accordingly, although the skeletal structure of the body is more easily observed, the muscular system of the body also needs consideration.
Insofar as posture is concerned, the muscles of the body can be generally divided into two groups. More generally, this division is based on the functionality of the respective muscle groups. One group is the dynamic muscle group (i.e. muscles that actively contract to coordinate and control body movements) the other is the static muscle group (i.e. muscles that provide tonic muscle control). With poor body posture, it is known that the muscles of both groups are adversely affected. Specifically, the dynamic muscle group becomes weaker, while muscles of the static muscle group become shorter.
As recognized by persons skilled in the art, in addition to the mal-alignments (postural deviations) that can be observed relative to standardized view planes, a person's weight bearing sensations also provide valuable diagnostic data. Specifically, it is known that a person's weight bearing sensations, as perceived by their feet in a standing position, can be used to help qualify muscle function. Importantly, all this data can be collectively evaluated and used to prescribe a proper sequence of appropriate exercises for both the static and dynamic muscle groups. The object, of course, is to prescribe an exercise program that will effectively correct the mal-alignments (postural deviations) that contribute to poor posture.
It happens that the number and type of exercises that are useful for correcting body mal-alignments (postural deviations) are many and varied. Consequently, the selection and proper sequencing or ordering of exercises for an effective corrective exercise program can be difficult and time consuming. Moreover, subjective considerations such as the severity of a particular mal-alignment can greatly influence the content and implementation of a corrective exercise program.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system with a computerized method for creating a corrective exercise program that quickly and efficiently selects a sequence of appropriate exercises for correcting a person's posture. Another object of the present invention is to provide a computerized method for creating a corrective exercise program that is based on subjective considerations such as the weight bearing sensations of the person and the severity of particular postural deviations (mal-alignments). Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for creating a corrective exercise program that can be easily reviewed and verified. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system with a computerized method for creating a corrective exercise program that is easy to implement, simple to use and comparatively cost effective.